1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color proof making apparatus, and more particularly to a color proof making apparatus for making a color proof used for checking the quality of color prints by means of an ultraviolet light-sensitive material.
2. Description of the Related Art
In effecting color printing in large volumes by using a printing machine, e.g., in the printing of color advertisements (so-called inserts) inserted in newspapers or the like, the printing quality is checked in advance by using a color proof making apparatus before printing is actually effected by the printing machine.
An overlay system is known as a typical system of the color proof making apparatus. This is a system in which an image is reproduced by superposing films of various color-material films on top of another, and it is practically impossible to view the image transmitted through the films, and the image thus obtained is very poor in quality.
Also, another system called a surprint system is known as a system for obtaining an image on a sheet. This is a system in which an image is obtained by successively superposing light-sensitive films of four colors on a substrate one on top of each other. In this system, such products as Cromalin (made by DuPont; product name), Matchprint (made by 3M Co.; product name), and COLOR-ART (made by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.; product name) are known. In each of these systems, four light-sensitive films are necessary, and scraps are produced.
A color paper system is known as another system for forming a color image on a light-sensitive sheet. In this system, an original film is brought into close contact with a color paper, and is subjected to exposure by using filters of various colors, and is then subjected to wet development to obtain a color image. FINE CHECKER (made by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.; product name) and Konsensus (made by Konica Corp.; product name) are known as examples of this system. In this system, since the sensitivity area of the color paper is a visible area, a dark room or an exposing apparatus equipped with a dark room is necessary for handling the same, and it is necessary to maintain ad manage a developing solution.
In each of these systems, however, any of the following drawbacks is experienced: A plurality of sheets are required; scraps of such as transfer sheets and a toner are produced; handling in the dark room is difficult; and a development system in which a developing solution is used is necessary. As a result, there has been demand for overcoming these drawbacks.
Accordingly, it is conceivable to use an ultraviolet light-sensitive material which does not produce scraps and is not sensitive to a visible region which facilitates handling in a dark room. As such light-sensitive materials, the following materials have been proposed: one in which a two-component type heat-sensitive coloring medium is arranged such that two components thereof are spaced away from each other with microcapsules containing a photosetting composition interposed therebetween (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 89915/1977); one in which a layer containing both a vinyl monomer having a basic Group and a photo-polymerizing composition, a separating layer, and a layer containing an electron-donating colorless dye are superposed one on top of another (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 123838/19860; and those in which a plurality of light-sensitive layers emitting different colors are provided, and the respective light-sensitive layers have a central wavelength (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 224930/1989 and 19710/1990). If the aforementioned light-sensitive materials are used, it is possible to form a visible image by forming a latent image on the photo-setting composition through exposure and by subsequently heating the same.
If this ultraviolet light-sensitive material is used, processing in a bright room is possible, and scraps are not produced. To make a color proof by using this ultraviolet light-sensitive material, it is necessary to apply light of a wavelength region corresponding to a light-sensitive wavelength region in which the light-sensitive material undergoes color development, by using a light source for emitting ultraviolet light.